Railway brake beam



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RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM INVENTORS EDWIN G. BUSSE BY JOSEPH H. KELLER 7 A7- raprr Sept. 14, 1943. a. BussE EI'AL RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed NOV. 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -FIG.11.

- BY JOSEPH H. KELLER beam, V Manufacturers and users'of brake beams are: "giving 'i increased attention to thefproblem of Busse and Joseph Hr-Keller Chicago: .7 f 1-;

\ Ill'., assignors to Chicago 'Railway Equipment 1 Company Chjcago, Ill.,=a corporation of 11- Application lTheinventionrelatesto railway brake beams and"more particularly td thefanchorage' of the ends of the tension of a tru'ss'type brake brealgage of the end portions' 'of such tension members due to the "strains "resulting from the {applicatidnfand release of the brakes? which are accentuatedbylthe reduction of the cross sectional -area' of the end porti'on ofthe tensiQn member by the customarygthreading of the same 'tojt'ake a-niit seated 'bn'fthe brakejhead whereby 'the tension omthe rod is controlled andthe beam parts are held in assembled relation.

It has been proposed to upset the endportions of the tension rods toincreasej their diameter andthus ofi'setreduction of area otherwise eifectedby the threading, but this is'expensive construction and only increases the life of rod a small extent: The cutting in of threads allows fatigue to concentrate at the base of the thread i at the inner face of the point is common.

' Various other arrangements in cross sectional area of the tension member have been based upon riveting or otherwise fixe nut, and fr'actu're at this edly securing the' ends of the tension member to the ends of the compression member, but'these, constructions are subject'to the condition that there is no provision" for adjusting the connection to control the cambe'r of' the compression member and the spacing of the brake heads from the lever fulcrum in the beam" strut, as is effected readily by a'nut threaded on the end of the tension member and seated against the brake head.

The main object of the present invention is ;to "adjustably secure the ends of 'thetens'ion meniber .of the beam to .the associated beam members withoutredu'ction' in the'cross sectional area of the tension member,

tained by the structure illustrated in the acc'om-' panyingdrawings in which;

Figure -1 is a plan Viewof a. truss type'brake beam embodying one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the beam-shown in Figure I but draw'n to enlarged scale.

avoiding reduction Novemberl, 1 41, :I Plain-{452 reclaims (01. 188V-Z22)' j a p 1 ie'ur 3 is a detailed longitudinal section'taken pn'thel nesa ofFigure 1. Figure v h i'-'4 of Figures 2 and a.

4 is a detailed longitudinal section taken Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 4 b t showsfthe [substitution of the usualtension ro d and nut in place of the tension-rod shown in Figures 142:

QFig'uredi's an end'VieWof the assembly shown in Figure 5'. 'I'n Figures 4 andfi 'some'of'the parts "behind the plane of the View re shown in broken line'is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating 't ie'ccnsnucti m i11us trate "respectiv ly different forms or the n;- *vention,--Fig"uresf7 and S- being taken on thec'or- ;respondin jsectitn imes of-Figuress and 10.;

Figure 8; n endview of the structure shown jinFi'g'iire-vr k a 11w tur'e Showg r Figure and in part a transverse sectiOn take'n' onthe line HI-1H1 0r Figure 9.

"'ot the brake-headiorming a'seat for the tensioningdevice, -broke'n lines indicating portions of the fienSionihg-dev e. f i Figure-1 3;-:is"{an isometric view" of the portion of the tensioniiig devicewhichfengagesthe brake portion" or the compression member and its other end seated against the intermediate -portion of the tension member 4," the end; portions of which e tendthricegh brakeheadsln ';A"wedge5 of U or'horseshoe'shape is inserted "betweentheouter face ofhead 2 andopposing "siredgoneor lm re Washers Ill-may be placed "be tween wedge '5 and its "seats Bite; increase the shoulderst provided on'the endlof rod 4 by lugs l-wh'ich project laterally ofthe'rod beyond the 'sid'esbfthe'rdd. v f

fIhe outer' 'faceor side wall of the headhas spa ced parallel inclinedseats fi for'wedge 5 and these seats"arefrecessed at GtdaCcommOdatethe "pa'ssag therethrough of ,the tensio n' rod lugs [T -"when the e'nd'portion oftherod is inserted through thebr'ake'head. 'The'elo'rigated legs of the fwedge bridge the recesses Qand have sufliicientbearingarea at opposite sides of the recesses to provide adequate support for the wedge, If derangeof adjustment of the tension rod', '-butor'dijnaril y {the taper of the wedge" legs will be sumillustrated in rigur e i-e-ifiv 'iinte'd up n-itsends and with astrut retraction of the wedge."

Between seats 8, which are inclined to a per- I pendicular to the axis of the tension member and its passageway through the brakehead, the outer face or wall of the brake head is provided with seats II perpendicularto'theabove 1 mentioned axis and adapted :t'o form a-bearingfor a nut l2 threaded on the end of'a'tenslon rod Seats II are raised l3 as indicated in Figure 5.

face of this boss being threaded, as in Figure 9, its end face forms arcuate earns 42 on which is seated the tensioning nut 43 having cams 44 opposing cams 42. Nut 43 has an end wall 45 apertured at 48 for the tension member 41, the opening in the end wall being recessed at 48 to accommodate the tension rod lugs 49 projecting' laterally 1mm thesides ofthe. rod:

Preferablythe tension device has" lips 50 midway of its cams 44 which will drop over the high spots of the earns 42 to prevent the reverse movement of the nut after it has been turned to the desired position.

above the level of seats 8 but-do not aflectthe'" functioning of seats 8 and wedge 5 since the legs of the wedge straddle seats ll.

Preferably the brake head has ribs 1 4 extending along the outside of -the legs. of "wedges; ;5 preventing (the latter :from spreading: and thereby releasing thelugs-fl of thejtension mem- The wedge structure forms a simple, effective means for tightening the tension: member 5nd.

other partsinsassembled position, and the'nor- ;malcrosswsectionalarea of the tensionmember is-inot redueed-nearits-end as is the casewith the threaded tension rod. At the same timepa beam made as shown in Figuresl have an ordinary threaded tension rod and nut sub- .sta'tuted' for the 'head tensionmember and-wedge.

Hence the parts other: than the tension rod and wedge are interchangeable with theordinary iorm of brake beam-heads of: which-manyhundreds of thousands are in useon American railroads; M j

Figures 7- and'8 illustrate another form of; the invention inwhich the entire outer face 20-of the portion of-thebrake -head 21' which surrounds the tension member 22- forms' an inclinedseat 'for th W dge 2 3 and the head is provided'with aperturedwebs Ml which encloseqthewedge legs. -With this arrangement the brake is not interchangeable with thatot an ordinaryfbrake beam havinga threaded rod tension member.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a form of theinven -tion in-- which the outer portion ofgthe brake head-- 30' includes a cylindrical boss 31 threaded exteri'orlyto receive anut 32,.threadect interiorly and having? itsend wall 33 recessed at fl to accommodate the passage threugh-thenutof the lateral lugs 35 on the tension member 35; A split washer .31 is inserted in the nut after the rodhas been passed therethrough engages the shoulders on lugs 35 which-oppose the brake head. After the assembly, the nut" is threaded outwardly on the brake head boss, until the desired tightening movement has been effected.

.Pneierabl ythe nut has ribs 38' toeng-age the ends of the segments of the split washersrli pare;-

-vent rotation relative tothe nut H In this form of the invention the-cooperating threads on the boss and-nut; previde a rotary wedge action similar to'the usual threaded ten- ,slonhrod arrangement, but the structure avoids thev cutting. at threads :in the tension and the undesirable reduction of ;its; cross section varea at a point where the. tra v vf'gmesiam most severe,

Figures 11-.13 illustrate another f'orm oi invention in which the brake head 4lt-hasacylinvdrieal boss 4| similarto the-boss 31' of the head shown in Figured but instead rthe outerslde In makingthe approximate quarter turn nec- --essary'to p-roperlycamber or tension the brake beam, the face of. each lip 50, and possibly the tail of the corresponding cam 44, would ride on ,theopposing cam 42 until the lips had passed lover the high spot of cams'42, at which time the cams 42 and 44 would contact each other throughout: their lengths The spring inherent -in the; beamwould accommodate-the surplus --camber produced temporarilyby the: riding. of

lips 59 over head cams 42. The heavy prooi ,-loading, constituting the last operation in mszsemb-ling thevbrake beam, wouldhaveatendeney to set allroifthe parts.-

Each form of the invention illustrated. em-

bodies the. greneral ob-jectivesset forth ii); the introductory of, the speciflcationtand those familiar with-the art will have littledifficu1ty.-in varying theessential features of the invention otheitwise than as disclosed. The: ex .clusiveuse ofsuch mddificatiens as some within the scope of:the'claimsiscontemplated.

What isclaimedris; 1, In arailway-brake; beam, aycompression member a brake headet the ends thereof, a tension member. extending through; said: brake head antlhaving a lateral shoulder onsitslend Qpor-tion and projecting beyond the: side j face of the member andv spaced-from said brake head. tensioning: device said shoulder and the opposing face of thebrake'head, the device and the head.- havingv respective. in-

. tegral elements c pposingleach l other transversely of the tension member to holdthedeviee against relative move-mentnover the iiaee of thetension z b I l 4 1 a g 2'. A h e-beamtasqdescribedr i-n= -c-laimi 1 in "w [Ch-"$1 1? tensioning device-comprises a wedge member supported by a bearing, on. the outer face 02 the head, the bearing being inclined to the axis of the tensionmember. I

A" brake beam as described- ;in claim '1: in

which the' shoulder the tension member is substantially less thanra complete annulus: and

the O p sing face: of the brake'rhead has: a similarly shaped opening providing for the passage :01 the tension rod shoulder'thmughthe head.'

4. In a railway brake beam, a compression member; a-rbra-ke headat the-end thereof, a ten v.sion member extending through: said brake: head,

elements on said head "extending beyondithe end of said compression member and alongside said tension' member, a shoulder'pnojecting from the side of said tension member, and awedge' device vinserted through said elements transversely of said-tension member and-engaging said shoulder .to' tighten" the tension member;

5. In a railway brakebeam,lacompression member, a brake: head" at the end thereof and having a: threaded boss projecting outwardly towards the end of the beam-,. a tension member extending through saidihrazkeheaxis and having'a shoulder projecting laterally from the side of the through passageway for receiving and closely surrounding a beam tension member and having a pocket for receiving the end of a beam compression member, there being a bearing on the outer wall of said head at the side of said passageway and inclined totthe perpendicular to the axis of the tension member passageway for mounting a rod-engaging wedge-like tension device whereby the tension on the tension member may be varied'by movement of the tension device over the I inclined bearing, said bearing being elongated in one direction to accommodate movement of the tensioning device across the bearing in said direction and the bearing being recessed in the head wall to retain the tensioning device against movement across the bearing in a transverse direction.

8. A railway brake beam head having aside wall and a pocket opening in one direction from said wall for receiving the end of a compression member, and having elements extending outwardly from said wall 'in' the opposite direction and spaced apart to receive a tension member between them and apertured transversely of their spacing to receive and seat a wedge for engaging and tensioning a tension member;

9. A railway brake beam head having a pocket opening in one direction for receiving the endof a beam compression member and having a boss projecting in the opposite direction, said head and boss being provided with a passageway for a beam tension member and said boss being threaded exteriorly for the application of a nut with its axis in substantial alignment with said passageway.

10. In a railway brake beam, a compression member, a brake head at the end thereof, a tension member extending through said brake head and having shoulders on its end portion facing toward saidbrake head, an annular bearing on said brake head surrounding said tension member and comprising surfaces inclined to the perpendicular to the tensionmember at diametrically opposite sides of the tension member. and facing said shoulders, a nut-like tensioning device with its outer face seated on said shoulders and with its inner face forming cam surfaces complementary to and seated on said bearing cam surfaces.

11. Av railway brake head having a pocket for receiving the end of a compression member of a truss type brake beam and including an end wall against which the end of said member may seat, there being an opening in said wall for receiving a beam tension member passing there- 5 through, the sides of the opening being disposed to hold the tension member against movement in the head transversely of the axis of the opening, the outer face of said wall having portions at diametrically opposite sides of said opening 10 disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said opening and adapted to seat a nut which may be threaded onto a tensionmember extending through the opening, said wall outer face also having portions at diametrically opposite 5 sides of said opening intermediate said first-mentioned portions and inclined to said plane and adapted to seat awedge member which may engage an opposing shoulder on a tensioning member extending through the opening.

20 12. A railway brake head having a pocket for receiving the end of a compression member of a truss type brake beam and including an end wall against whichthe end of said member may seat, there being an opening in said wall for re- 5ce'iving a beam tension member passing therethrough, the outer face of said wall comprising an annular bearing having portions at diametrically oppositesides of said opening inclined to a plane extending perpendicularly to said axis.

13. A railway brake head having a pocket for receiving the end of a compression member of a truss type break beam and including an end wall against which the end of said member may seat, there being an opening in said wall for 35 receiving a beam tension member projecting through the head, the sides of the opening being disposed'to hold the tension member against movement in-the head transversely of the axis of the opening, said wall having portions inclined to the axis of said. opening and disposed ,to seat a device and thrust the device away from said pocket as the device is moved over said portions and thereby tighten the tension memben 14. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member, a tension member projecting beyond the end of the compression member, a

on said bearing surface, the tension member hav- 1 ing a bearing surface opposing and inclined t6 said head bearing surface and engaged, by said device whereby the tension on the tension member may be .varied by moving said device over said bearing surfaces.

EDWIN G. BUSSE. JOSEPH H. KELLER. 

